


Exhale

by foxsea007



Series: Sweet Pea One Shot Collection [3]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Mental Health Issues, One Shot, Panic Attacks, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Short One Shot, Social Anxiety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-12 15:36:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19232029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxsea007/pseuds/foxsea007
Summary: Social anxiety is something not all your friends seem to understand. So when you have a panic attack during class and hide yourself in the bathroom, a very tall serpent comes to walk you through it.





	Exhale

**Author's Note:**

> Also a small trigger warning, this can be pretty intense with those with anxiety as I try to portray mental illness in a realistic fashion. Especially with that nasty little voice, we all have in our heads that tell us horrible things. Please read with care, but I promise.. it gets better <3

It felt like the world was spinning.

You sat in class as you were lost in the confines of your mind, listening to the toxic words bouncing around the wall of your mind. Biting your lip, your hand trembled as you tried to hold the pencil steady within your grasp and continue taking notes as the teacher continued the lecture. But, it was no use. Your mind only grew louder and louder as you attempted to ignore it more and more. Cursing inwardly, you tried to take a deep calming breath but it came out just as shakily as your hands.

Nausea began building in the pit of your stomach as you looked around the classroom, most students looking ahead and paying attention to the teacher. Your eyes caught two girls in the corner of the classroom, leaning over toward each other and whispering in each other’s ears and you could have sworn they had glanced at you and laughed. Whipping your head around, you stared down at your notebook as your body began to vibrate with the growing intensity of your anxiety.

_They’re all talking about you._

You flinched at the voice growing louder and louder in your mind, poisoning you with its words.

_No one wants you here._

Tears began prying at your dry eyes as you tried your breathing technique again.

_You’ll never be good enough. Just leave._

You jumped up from your seat as your seat almost fell backward onto the desk behind you. The stares of the startled students around the classroom bore into your body, only increasing your growing anxiety. The world was spinning, overwhelming you… and it was as if you could hear the thoughts of the students… or perhaps, it was just the voice in the back of your head.

_Look how crazy you look._

_No one wants you here._

_What a loser._

Covering your mouth, you felt vomit building up in the back of your throat as you raced out of the classroom ignoring the teacher’s pleas asking if you were okay. You flung open the door to the girl’s restroom finding an empty stall and rushing inside and before you knew it… you were violently vomiting into the toilet. Tears flooded down your cheeks as everything in your stomach came up and into the toilet.

Your body trembled as you leaned your head against the seat trying to savor the coolness of the seat as your own body heat felt as though it was going to kill you. You could almost feel your heart beginning to beat out of your chest… you couldn’t catch your breath.

You were sure you were going to die.

The door to the bathroom swung open as you heard someone stepping into the bathroom causing your entire body to freeze in place. Oh no. Covering your mouth to try to silence your sobs, you shut the door to your stall before pulling your legs up to your chest as you remained seated on the floor. You glanced down at the small gap between the floor and the stall, noticing black boots…

A knock on the stall.

“I know you’re in here…”

Eyes going wide, you nearly squeaked in surprise when you heard the gruff voice of Sweet Pea from outside the stall you were hiding in. “S-Sweet Pea,” you managed to say, your voice still shaky from anxiety. “T-this is the girl’s bathroom. You can’t be in here!”

He sighed as he tried pulling against the door. “Let me in,” he said, tugging the metal door again. “I need to know if you’re okay. I saw you run out of class-”

Your breath hitched in your throat as you realized you had been noticed by him in the hallway. “I’m fine,” you tried to assure him.

“Stop lying.” His voice wasn’t harsh, but stern, seeing through your lie instantly.

“Pea, I-”

“If you don’t open the door,” He grumbled. “I’ll kick it down.”

You managed to untangle your arms from around your legs as you reached up and unlocked the door to the stall. “There,” you whispered, returning to your previous position and hugging your knees close to your chest. The metal door opened as Sweet Pea gazed down at you. “…you don’t have to stay.”

Sweet Pea ignored you and took a seat against the wall next to you. “Hush,” he replied, his voice going gruff again in an almost comforting way. “What happened? Did someone hurt you? Do I need to-”

Shaking your head, you glanced at him. “No. No. Nothing like that,” you assured him. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.”

You couldn’t believe this was happening as you stared at the Southside Serpent sitting next to you. Sure, he had always been around. In fact, you would even say you were best friends. Biting your lower lip as you still felt the pinging of your anxiety, you looked away from you and let out a small, nervous laugh. “I’m crazy.” you managed out.

Sweet Pea quirked an eyebrow at you. “How so?”

“Everyone hates me. I know it.”

_It’s true. You’ll never be good enough for anyone._

Swallowing hard, you felt vomit creeping up your throat again as the voice in your mind began poisoning you again. You shut your eyes tightly together as you tried to cover your ears, wishing the horrible abuse in your head would stop. “No one wants me here!” you nearly screamed, as the voice in your head mocked you more. “I should just disappear! No one wants me here!”

“Hey.”

It was Sweet Pea’s voice.

Your eyes snapped back open unsure how his voice so easily cut through your disgusting thoughts. Sweet Pea’s hands gently grabbed your trembling ones and peeling them off your head. His hands moved to cup your cheeks on either side and turned you to look at him. “Look at me. Just at me. It’ll be over soon,” he assured her. You weren’t too sure as you stared at him until you felt his thumbs rub against your cheeks gently, wiping away any tears that dared to escape from your eyes. “Deep breath,” he said, breathing in and out with you, hopeful you would follow his rhythm.

“I-I can’t.”

Sweet Pea’s hands disappeared from your face and took your hands and placed them on his chest. You could feel each inhale and exhale of air with the rise and fall of his chest against your hands. “Breath with me then,” he said, gently. “In.” He breathed in.

You took a breath in.

“And out,” he said, before exhaling.

You exhaled.

His smile grew when your breathing began to slow on its own with each inhale and exhale. “See? No more tears, okay”

You were grateful. Your hands were no longer shaking, in fact, the growing sickness building in the pit of your stomach had even subsided. “Thank you Pea,” you whispered, wiping your eyes one last time to catch any lasting tears that may be hidden.

“Now you listen to me,” Sweet Pea said.

Your eyes went wide. “Yeah?”

“Everyone loves you. No one wants you to go anywhere and whatever bullshit is going on in your mind right now. It’s a god damn lie,” he said, his voice still remaining gentle as he brushed a thumb over your cheek again. “So many people love you here. Fangs, Toni… they all want you here. I want you here.”

Despite feeling as if you had cried your last tears, his words alone managed to send you over the edge as happy tears flowed down your face. “Sweet Pea…” you whimpered, scrambling to wipe your eyes again.

He chuckled. “I thought no more crying.”

“S-sorry.”

Sweet Pea slung an arm around your shoulder, pulling you into him. Your head rested against his shoulder as you felt his head move on top of yours. “We can stay here as long as you need,” he said.

“What if girls come in?”

“…do you honestly think I care?”

You sighed before cracking a small smile. “Sweet Pea.”

Sweet Pea smirked at you before tapping your nose gently. “Made you smile.”

You couldn’t help but laugh now.

“And now a laugh,” he commented. “I’m on a roll.”

You snuggled back down against his shoulder. “Thank you, Pea…”

“Anytime.”


End file.
